The Peerless Tang Sect: Possessing Huo Yuhao at the Start

Chapter 35 Quarterfinals

Early morning, Xingluo Square.

The round of 16 to 8 will consist of four matches per day, spanning four days. Shrek Academy, as the defending champion, will be the first to take the stage again, facing their formidable opponent in this round: Douling Academy, the number one academy of the Douling Empire.

"In the round of 16, the first match is between Shrek Advanced Soul Master Academy and Douling Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy. Both teams have entered the waiting area to prepare for the match."

As soon as the referee's voice fell on the competition stage, the atmosphere was instantly pushed to a climax. The emperor of the Star Luo Empire had arrived at the city wall early. He was always present at Shrek Academy's matches.

Led by Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Huo Zhanji, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi and Wang Dong followed him into the waiting area.

Wang Yan looked at his teammates, pursed his lips, and said in a deep voice, "It hasn't been easy for us to get to where we are today. Although Zhan Ji has basically fought his way through the previous few matches alone, the opponents we are about to face are much stronger than those before. So here, I want to emphasize one point: no matter how talented or strong you are, you must not underestimate your opponents, because you never know how much strength they are hiding."

"Understood!" all seven answered loudly in unison.

"Both teams, please enter the field." The referee's voice rang out.

Ma Xiaotao was the first to stand up and stride ahead, followed by Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Huo Zhanji, Wang Dong, and Xu Sanshi.

On the other side, the members of the Douling Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy also walked onto the stage.

"Both sides step back and prepare for the match."

As both sides retreated, their formations began to change.

On Shrek Academy's side, standing at the very front were Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng. Behind them, extending slightly to the sides, were Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi. In the center behind them stood the main control soul master Ling Luochen, with Huo Zhanji behind him and Wang Dong on the other side. As they retreated, Huo Zhanji had already activated his mental detection sharing.

On the other side, the Douling team also formed a battle formation as they retreated. Gu Zhujian, the captain and a powerful offensive Soul Master, didn't appear at the very front of their team; instead, he stood in the center. Standing at the very front were Qian Yuan, the Terrorclaw Bear Soul Master, and Chi Hengyu, the defensive Vajra Shield Soul Master. Han Ling'er, the agility-based Soul Master, was hidden very close behind them.

Meanwhile, the two control-type battle spirit masters in the team actually stood on the two flanks, protecting Gu Zhujian in the core position behind them, as well as Tang Niu Niu, the support-type weapon spirit master at the very back. This formation can only be described as bizarre.

Seeing that both sides were in position, the referee gestured to their respective captains and then shouted, "The match begins!"

Both Soul Masters released their respective Martial Souls at the same time.

A dense phoenix flame instantly erupted from Ma Xiaotao's body. Even though Wang Yan had repeatedly told her to hide her strength as much as possible, how could she listen? Two yellow, two purple, and two black spirit rings appeared fiercely, and together with the extreme heat of the flames, they fully highlighted her power. Dai Yueheng, who was standing next to her, did the same. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, who were standing behind her, exchanged a glance and also released their respective martial spirits.

At the same time, Ling Luochen also released her martial soul, while Huo Zhanji behind her placed his right hand on her back to increase her attributes. Wang Dong provided Huo Zhanji with soul power, and Huo Zhanji also released his Frost Dragon martial soul to overlook the entire field.

Just as the opponents were setting up their formation, Ma Xiaotao from Shrek Academy immediately said, "Move!"

Xu Sanshi's fourth spirit ring shone brightly, and in the next instant, the bewildered and surprised captain of the Fighting Spirit Team, Zihuangzhu, the powerful attack-type battle spirit king Guzhujian, switched places with Xu Sanshi and appeared in the encirclement of the other six Shrek Academy students.

"Fuck you..." Gu Zhujian cursed.

Beibei smiled slightly and slammed down with a Thunder Dragon Claw.

Dai Yueheng's second soul skill, White Tiger Light Wave, and Ma Xiaotao's first soul skill, Phoenix Fire Line, were activated simultaneously. Moreover, Ling Luochen pointed his staff, freezing Gu Zhujian's feet in place. Xu Sanshi on the other side was obviously prepared and caught Dugu Jian off guard. Just as Dugu Jian was about to break through, Xu Sanshi made a clever move and swapped his position with Ma Xiaotao, who was releasing a meteor shower.

This series of changes was truly dazzling. At this moment, the Fighting Spirit team was undoubtedly at a significant disadvantage. The reason for this was not their strength, but rather their tactical advantage.

.........

The battle ended much faster than anyone expected. Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Meteor Shower ultimately failed to land; the referee directly prevented her from unleashing her soul skill. Shrek Academy secured an overwhelming victory in this team battle.

When the referee ran over and pulled the Lone Bamboo Sword from Shrek Academy's side, Huo Zhanji and the others looked completely innocent, as if they weren't the ones who had done the cruel thing.

"This is the real Shrek Academy, Shrek Academy with a powerful burst of energy," Emperor Xingluo commented.

On the way back to the Star Emperor Hotel, Dai Yueheng said, "I'll go first in the individual elimination round the day after tomorrow."

Ma Xiaotao glared at him and said, "Why should you go first? What use are these petty schemes and tricks in the face of absolute strength?"

Wang Yan suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Tao, let's talk after we get back to the hotel."

Ma Xiaotao frowned slightly but remained silent. Soon, everyone returned to the hotel. Wang Yan instructed the others to go back to their rooms to cultivate and rest, while he took Ma Xiaotao into the conference room. Ma Xiaotao was undoubtedly given a lecture, but she clearly felt unconvinced.

The round of 16 proceeded smoothly, and as expected, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy defeated their opponent in the team battle. Due to Shrek Academy's own problems, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy has now become the biggest favorite to win the championship.

After a day of rest, the individual elimination rounds started on time on the third day. The participants in the individual competition were Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, and Huo Zhanji. He Caitou, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao became spectators. Under Wang Yan's arrangement, Dai Yueheng was the first to perform, while Ma Xiaotao was placed last. After being scolded by Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao finally gave in and honestly admitted her mistake to Wang Yan.

Huo Zhanji single-handedly defeated an entire team, and simultaneously propelled Shrek Academy into the top eight of this tournament.

In the subsequent quarterfinals, Shrek Academy was fortunate enough to draw a very favorable draw, selecting the weakest team among the eight, allowing the Shrek team to advance to the semifinals.

Wang Yan, seated at the head of the table, said in a deep voice, "Alright, let's begin the meeting."

"The top four have all been decided, and the semi-finals will begin tomorrow. We will undoubtedly be in the first match. The other match will also be played tomorrow. After the semi-finals, there will be a three-day break, followed by the final."

"Teacher Wang, who are our opponents in the semi-finals?" Xiao Xiao asked curiously.

Wang Yan said, "It's still unclear. To ensure fairness, the four semi-finalists will draw lots to determine their matchups before the game. As the defending champions, we will definitely be playing tomorrow. Therefore, we can't make any specific preparations before the game and can only consider each opponent. This is the disadvantage. The advantage is that our opponents will also face the same situation; they don't know if they will run into us either."

"The four teams that have entered the final four are our Shrek Academy team, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team of the Sun Moon Empire, the Star Luo National Academy team of the Star Luo Empire, and the last team to enter the final four is the Imperial Academy team of the Heavenly Soul Empire."

"It's fair to say that the other three academies are our old rivals, each of them extremely strong. Our strongest opponent is naturally still the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Based on normal circumstances, even if we don't meet them in the semifinals, we'll probably definitely meet them in the finals. Therefore, we must prepare tactics to counter them. Now I'll tell you about the specific situations of these three teams, as well as the things we need to pay attention to and the counter-tactics we need during the competition."

"Among these three teams, without a doubt, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is our strongest opponent. Their captain, Ma Rulong, has yet to make an appearance, but based on our data from the last competition, Ma Rulong should be a Soul Emperor. He is also the only Soul Emperor from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."

"Of the fourteen members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy who have come to participate in the competition, only their captain Ma Rulong and reserve members Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen have not yet appeared on the field."

Wang Yan continued, "Among the team members who have already appeared, all six main members, excluding Ma Rulong, are Soul Kings. However, only two of them are Soul Kings above level 55; the rest are Soul Kings in their early fifties. Moreover, they also inherit the characteristic of Soul Masters having weak Martial Souls, with their main combat strength coming from their Soul Tools. As for the five reserve members who have already appeared, there are two Soul Grandmasters and three Soul Venerables. The Soul Venerables should all be above level 35, and they will definitely be participants in the next competition. However, we shouldn't encounter these reserve members in the upcoming matches."

"The reason why the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is our strongest opponent is not only because their students possess soul power cultivation capable of rivaling ours, but more importantly, because of their control over soul tools. Undoubtedly, they have many powerful soul tools they haven't used for this competition, specifically reserved to deal with us. This has been the case in every competition, and in recent decades, the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools have been rapidly upgraded, making them increasingly difficult to deal with."

"Therefore, our tactics against them are more about adaptability. In team battles, we may be at a disadvantage due to the combined advantage of their soul tools, but in the singles elimination rounds, or in the 2-2-3 formation that reappears in the finals, we will not be at a disadvantage. At least we have a fighting chance."

"The rules for the finals have also changed. It will consist of team battles, individual elimination rounds, and a 2-2-3 format. Moreover, after both sides select their seven players, these three matches will be played in one go without a break. It will be a best-of-three series, and the final winner will be the champion."

Upon hearing Wang Yan's words, the Shrek Academy students who had never participated in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament were all secretly surprised, except for Huo Zhanji, of course.

...............

This pre-battle preparation meeting lasted for nearly three hours, from lunchtime to dinnertime, and only ended when the sun was slowly setting.

The tension wasn't limited to Shrek Academy; the other three top academies were equally tense. The battle to determine the final victor was about to begin. This wasn't just a battle for the honor of the four top academies, but also the most important battle for these participating teams.

It's important to understand that any team that achieves a top ranking in the competition will receive exceptionally high treatment from every member, regardless of which faction they join. If they enter government service, they might even be granted noble titles. This honor will accompany them for life. In short, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament has long been a major competition for selecting and recruiting elite talent among nations across the continent.

If Shrek Academy weren't so prestigious, various noble forces, families, and even sects would probably have come to recruit these students long ago.

(End of this chapter)